


Polish

by crowind



Series: Band Bonus: Roselia [4]
Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 15:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19176460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowind/pseuds/crowind
Summary: "Come to think of it, you've always noticed my nails, too. Remember the first time we met?"A disciplinary officer observes fashion more than anyone else. Everything else was just bonus.





	Polish

"That will be ten thousand yen." 

On autopilot, Sayo had almost pulled out the bill from her wallet. 

"What," she said, glaring at the display — showing a much more reasonable amount — and then at the grinning cashier. "That's embezzlement." 

Lisa's laugh clashed dissonant with the hum of the various food machines. 

"But you were watching my hands. All right, that'll be two thousand and a hundred ninety, please." Between breaths Lisa transformed into a reliable, if gaudy employee droning the correct amount. The perky customer service voice didn't suit her — but that wasn't Sayo's business. What Lisa did in her spare time. 

"You paid an exact amount, so there will be no change. Thank you for your patronage! So, did you like it?" 

Cash and plastic bag changed hands. And in the meantime, Sayo was staring at Lisa's fingers again, and she was caught at it, again. She focused on Lisa's nameplate, which was plain and business-like. They were the only people present in the convenience store. It must've been boring, even if one's disposition wasn't as boisterous as Imai Lisa's. This was just small talk with the nearest warm body. 

Even so, Sayo found herself answering, "It's a new colour for you, very… arresting." Lisa usually went for bright colours somewhere around the red spectrum. 

Beaming more brightly than the answer warranted, Lisa said, "I'm trying out a new colour to match Rinko's design." 

"You've never held back when it comes to fashion." That was it. Her eyes must have been drawn to the dark purple, almost black nails in search of their similarity to a half-forgotten memory. The new costumes Rinko had prepared for their next show. 

"Heeey, that sounds like you think I'm not serious about everything else," protested Lisa. More caught off guard than anything else, Sayo awkwardly shrugged. The other girl didn't seem to be offended, in any case. "Come to think of it, you've always noticed my nails, too. Remember the first time we met?" 

Sayo did. At that time she was mostly concerned with the bass Lisa had borrowed from CiRCLE, and the threat Lisa's claws had posed to it. Since then she had kept her nails functionally short. Now… "It could be that I don't understand." 

Lisa leaned forward, hands splayed on the counter. Unconsciously Sayo's gaze followed until she caught herself. "Hm, well, it's not like there's a deep, profound reason. I just like it. Oh, but when it comes to Roselia and our gigs, it's like, you know, we wear these matching dresses with all the frills and ribbons and accessories that take an hour to put on and take off each time. But that's also part of the music, part of Roselia, and I don't know about you but just putting it on pumps me up, yeah? It makes whatever we're doing feel more real and we get just a bit closer to realising the impossible. So it's the same deal with my nails — fingers. Especially since they're the real stars of the show when you think about it. I'm not making sense, am I." 

"Maybe so," Sayo disagreed quietly, "but I think I understand." The more difficult the song, the more mistakes she made, the more tempestuous Lisa's performance — the more intensely she watched her own hands. And on the dark stage, the more passionately she shone. That was, Sayo understood it to be, Roselia's lustre. 

"Ahaha, that's kind of you. So how about it, wanna give it a shot? We can do your nails the day before the live." 

_Why?_ To be sure, Lisa had often encouraged Sayo to smile more, or dropped random fashion tips. It wasn't just Sayo, Lisa would do that with anyone. Using Roselia — Sayo's weak point — as an argument was plain rhetoric; there must be triumph in persuading one's antithesis. And Sayo really, really didn't care about fashion. 

So why was she seriously considering it? But as her doubt manifested in her expression, Lisa took it the wrong way. "Ah, but you go to Hanajo, on the disciplinary committee no less, it'd be a hassle even if you were interested. You can forget about it." 

Sayo looked at her apologetic smile and thought, no. She wasn't just anyone. More than friends, more than bandmates, they had deliberately come together to create something greater than themselves. And that meant constantly bettering each other. Exchanging different, sometimes irreconcileable opinions, and if it proved to be good, learning from each other. 

And anyway nail polish was ultimately a trivial, harmless thing to try. Once. Just to see if it was as effective as Lisa made it out to be. 

Haltingly, Sayo said, "I could clean it up after the show. It's no trouble." 

As dazzling as Lisa's grin was, one would think Sayo was doing a favour for her.


End file.
